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- United and TeamViewer agreed to end shirt sponsorship last December
- Qualcomm deal likely to kick in from 2024/25
- Pair inked ‘global strategic collaboration’ in August 2022
Manchester United are in advanced talks over a new front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with US technology company Qualcomm, according to The Athletic.
The English soccer giants have been searching for a new shirt sponsor after agreeing to end their deal with TeamViewer last December. The pair inked a five-year deal in 2021 reportedly worth UK£47.5 million (US$59.3 million) per season, which saw TeamViewer take over from Chevrolet.
However, the pact’s long-term prospects looked to be in doubt just a year in when TeamViewer confirmed in August 2022 it would not be renewing its contract with United, believing it was not delivering full return on investment.
A ‘mutually-beneficial agreement’ was then reached last year that would allow United to start their hunt for a new front-of-shirt sponsor. TeamViewer will remain in place until a new partner is secured, with the Premier League outfit having the option to buy back the sponsorship rights which can then be sold on to another interested company.
‘Once a new shirt front partner is selected and takes on this role, TeamViewer will continue as a valued member of Manchester United’s suite of global partners, providing Manchester United with remote connectivity solutions, until the end of the original contract term in 2026,’ United added in a statement last December.
The club also confirmed TeamViewer’s financial commitments to United ‘remain unchanged whilst they remain the club’s shirt front partner,’ after which the firm’s financial commitments will reflect its status as a global partner.
Now, San Diego-headquartered Qualcomm is reportedly leading the race to replace TeamViewer, with United said to be targeting a deal worth UK£60 million (US$74.5 million) per year. The club’s local rivals Manchester City currently pocket a reported UK£67.5 million (US$84.2 million) per year from their shirt deal with Etihad Airways, making it the most valuable in the Premier League.
According to The Athletic, it is highly unlikely the Qualcomm deal would start this season and would instead kick in from the 2024/25 campaign.
United already have an existing relationship with Qualcomm, having entered a multi-year ‘global strategic collaboration’ with the firm in August 2022. The focus of the current partnership is Qualcomm’s flagship ‘Snapdragon’ range of mobile processors, or ‘platforms’, which power virtually every high-end smartphone.
Despite underwhelming performances on the pitch, United continue to perform well on the commercial front. In July, the club renewed their kit supplier partnership with Adidas for a further ten years through to 2035. The deal includes a minimum cash guarantee of UK£900 million (US$1.12 billion) across the decade.
